A rotary cutting tool, comprising:
- a tool body having a longitudinal center axis of rotation, the tool body being elongated and rotatable along the longitudinal center axis of rotation;
- a fluted cutting end portion and a shank portion that is axially opposite the fluted cutting end portion, the fluted cutting end portion including a radial periphery surface and an end surface;
- a plurality of major flutes located in the fluted cutting end portion, each major flute including a major flute surface projecting radially inward into the tool body and extending continuously and helically in an axial direction of the tool body;
- and
- a plurality of minor flutes located in the fluted cutting end portion, each minor flute including a minor flute surface projecting radially inward into the tool body and having a plurality of discontinuous minor flute surface portions that collectively extend helically in the axial direction of the tool body,
- wherein two sequentially adjacent major flutes are separated from each other by a plurality of teeth arranged in a band and individual teeth of the plurality of teeth in the band are separated from each other by a first discontinuous minor flute surface portion of a first minor flute and a second discontinuous minor flute surface portion of a second minor flute, the first minor flute sequentially adjacent the second minor flute,
- wherein the radial periphery surface of each tooth of the plurality of teeth arranged in the band defines a face portion, the face portion having a periphery including a first side edge and a second side edge meeting to form an apex, the apex oriented with the two side edges opening opposite to a direction of cutting rotation of the rotary cutting tool,
- wherein the first side edge of the face portion is formed by an intersection of the face portion with the flute surface of a first major flute, the first side edge defining a first cutting edge,
- wherein the second side edge of the face portion is formed by an intersection of the face portion with the first discontinuous minor flute surface portion of the first minor flute, the second side edge defining a second cutting edge,
- wherein a first region of the face portion extending from the first cutting edge toward an interior region of the face portion is non-planar and defines a relief surface of the first cutting edge, and
- wherein a second region of the face portion extending from the second cutting edge toward the interior region of the face portion is non-planar and defines a relief surface of the second cutting edge.